Shielded probe systems with controlled testing environments

ABSTRACT

Shielded probe systems are disclosed herein. The shielded probe systems are configured to test a device under test (DUT) and include an enclosure that defines an enclosure volume, a translation stage with a stage surface, a substrate-supporting stack extending from the stage surface, an electrically conductive shielding structure, an isolation structure, and a thermal shielding structure. The substrate-supporting stack includes an electrically conductive support surface and a temperature-controlled chuck. The electrically conductive shielding structure defines a shielded volume. The isolation structure electrically isolates the electrically conductive shielding structure from the enclosure and from the translation stage. The thermal shielding structure extends within the enclosure volume and at least partially between the enclosure and the substrate-supporting stack.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates generally to shielded probe systems andmore specifically to shielded probe systems that utilize a shieldingstructure to shield a testing environment from an ambient environmentthat surrounds the probe system.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

Probe systems may be utilized to test operation and/or performance of adevice under test (DUT). Probe systems generally include one or moreprobes that may be configured to provide a test signal to the DUT and/orto receive a resultant signal from the DUT. By measuring the response ofthe DUT to the test signal (e.g., by measuring and/or quantifying theresultant signal), the operation and/or performance of the DUT may bequantified.

Under certain circumstances, it may be desirable to test the DUT undercontrolled environmental conditions. As examples, it may be desirable totest the DUT under controlled thermal conditions, under controlled lightconditions, and/or under controlled atmospheric conditions, such as toquantify operation and/or performance of the DUT under these controlledenvironmental conditions. Additionally or alternatively, it also may bedesirable to test the DUT under low noise conditions, such as bylimiting electromagnetic interference (EMI) with the testing processand/or by limiting electromagnetic radiation and/or electric fieldswithin the testing environment. Thus, there exists a need for improvedshielded probe systems.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

Shielded probe systems are disclosed herein. The shielded probe systems,which also may be referred to herein as a probe system, are configuredto test a device under test (DUT) and include an enclosure that definesan enclosure volume. The probe systems also include a translation stageincluding a stage surface that extends within the enclosure volume and asubstrate-supporting stack extending from the stage surface. Thesubstrate-supporting stack includes an electrically conductive supportsurface, which is configured to support a substrate that includes theDUT, and a temperature-controlled chuck, which is configured to regulatea temperature of the electrically conductive support surface.

The probe systems further include an electrically conductive shieldingstructure extending within the enclosure volume. The electricallyconductive shielding structure defines a shielded volume that is asubset of the enclosure volume and that contains the electricallyconductive support surface. The electrically conductive shieldingstructure extends between the electrically conductive support surfaceand the enclosure, the translation stage, and the temperature-controlledchuck.

The probe systems further include an isolation structure and a thermalshielding structure. The isolation structure electrically isolates theelectrically conductive shielding structure from the enclosure and fromthe translation stage. The thermal shielding structure extends withinthe enclosure volume and at least partially between the enclosure andthe substrate-supporting stack.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a less schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of ashielded probe system according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of shielded probe systems accordingto the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of shielded probe systems accordingto the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION AND BEST MODE OF THE DISCLOSURE

FIGS. 1-3 provide examples of shielded probe systems 20 according to thepresent disclosure. Elements that serve a similar, or at leastsubstantially similar, purpose are labeled with like numbers in each ofFIGS. 1-3, and these elements may not be discussed in detail herein withreference to each of FIGS. 1-3. Similarly, all elements may not belabeled in each of FIGS. 1-3, but reference numerals associatedtherewith may be utilized herein for consistency. Elements, components,and/or features that are discussed herein with reference to one or moreof FIGS. 1-3 may be included in and/or utilized with any of FIGS. 1-3without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In general,elements that are likely to be included in a particular embodiment areillustrated in solid lines, while elements that are optional areillustrated in dash-dot-dot lines. However, elements that are shown insolid lines may not be essential and, in some embodiments, may beomitted without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a representation of a shielded probe system 20 according tothe present disclosure, while FIGS. 2-3 provide more schematicrepresentations of additional embodiments of shielded probe systems 20according to the present disclosure. Shielded probe systems 20 also maybe referred to herein as a shielded probe system 20, a test system 20, aprobe system 20, and/or a system 20. Probe systems 20 may be adapted,configured, designed, shaped, sized, and/or constructed to test one ormore devices under test (DUTs) 92, which may be formed on, supported by,and/or included in a substrate 90.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, probe systems 20 include an enclosure 30that at least partially bounds, or defines, an enclosure volume 32.Enclosure volume 32 may be adapted, configured, designed, shaped, sized,and/or constructed to receive substrate 90 and/or DUT 92.

Probe systems 20 further may include a contacting assembly 50 configuredto contact DUT 92 with one or more probes 56. As illustrated in FIGS.1-3, contacting assembly 50 may include one or more probe arms 55, oneor more probes 56 with a corresponding one or more probe tips 58, and/orone or more manipulators 53. Manipulator 53 may be external to enclosurevolume 32, such that probe 56 may be oriented within enclosure volume 32and probe arm 55 may operatively connect manipulator 53 to probe 56.Probe 56 may include, and/or be, a needle probe 54. In addition, and asillustrated, at least a portion of contacting assembly 50 may extendthrough and/or within an aperture 232.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, probe systems 20 further include anelectrically conductive shielding structure 200, which may be configuredto provide electromagnetic shielding to a shielded volume 202.Additionally, probe systems 20 include a thermal shielding structure400, which may be configured to provide thermal shielding to shieldedvolume 202.

As also illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, probe systems 20 further include asubstrate-supporting stack 100 that includes an electrically conductivesupport surface 152 configured to support substrate 90 and/or DUT 92.Substrate-supporting stack 100 also may be referred to herein as a chuckassembly 100, a substrate-supporting chuck assembly 100, and/or asubstrate-supporting assembly 100. Electrically conductive supportsurface 152 also may be referred to herein as a support surface 152.

As also illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, probe systems 20 include a translationstage 40 extending within enclosure volume 32. Translation stage 40includes a stage surface 42 configured to support substrate-supportingstack 100. Translation stage 40 may be configured to operativelytranslate substrate-supporting stack 100 relative to probes 56 and/or tooperatively rotate substrate-supporting stack 100 relative to probes 56,such as to facilitate alignment between one or more DUTs 92 and probes56. Translation stage 40 is at least partially, or even fully, externalto shielded volume 202.

Substrate-supporting stack 100 extends from stage surface 42 and atleast partially within shielded volume 202 of enclosure volume 32.Substrate-supporting stack 100 includes a temperature-controlled chuck110 configured to regulate a temperature of support surface 152, andthereby to regulate a temperature of substrate 90 and/or DUTs 92.Temperature-controlled chuck 110 also may be referred to herein as athermal chuck 110 and/or as a chuck 110. Temperature-controlled chuck110 is at least partially, or even fully, external to shielded volume202.

Probe systems 20 further include an isolation structure 300 thatelectrically isolates electrically conductive shielding structure 200from enclosure 30 and from translation stage 40. As illustrated,isolation structure 300 may be at least partially, or even fully,external to shielded volume 202. Isolation structure 300 may extendbetween at least a portion of shielding structure 200 and translationstage 40, and/or may spatially separate shielding structure 200 fromtranslation stage 40. Isolation structure 300 may be operativelyattached to stage surface 42 of translation stage 40, and/or may beoperatively attached to shielding structure 200. Isolation structure 300may be formed from any appropriate material, and may include, or be, anelectrically insulating material and/or a thermally insulating material.

Probe systems 20 further include thermal shielding structure 400extending within enclosure volume 32 and at least partially betweenenclosure 30 and substrate-supporting stack 100. Thermal shieldingstructure 400 may surround at least a portion of shielding structure200, such as to at least partially thermally isolate shielded volume 202from a remainder of enclosure volume 32. Thermal shielding structure 400may be formed from any appropriate material, and may include, or be, athermally insulating material.

Probe systems 20 according to the present disclosure may be configuredto provide environmental shielding to shielded volume 202 via aplurality of distinct structures. As examples, electrically conductiveshielding structure 200 may be configured to provide electromagneticshielding to shielded volume 202, and thermal shielding structure 400may be configured to provide thermal shielding to shielded volume 202.Additionally, isolation structure 300 may be configured to electricallyisolate shielding structure 200, such as to facilitate applying anelectrical bias to shielding structure 200. Because probe systems 20according to the present disclosure utilize distinct electromagneticshielding elements and thermal shielding elements, each of shieldingstructure 200, isolation structure 300, and thermal shielding structure400 may be individually configured to exhibit a specific respectiveshielding characteristic.

Additionally, probe systems 20 according to the present disclosure maybe configured such that shielded volume 202 has a size, shape, and/ororientation that facilitates electromagnetic, thermal, and/orenvironmental shielding thereof. Additionally or alternatively,utilizing a plurality of distinct shielding elements may allow forcontrol of a testing environment within shielded volume 202 to a higherdegree of precision and/or accuracy relative to traditional probesystems.

During operation of probe system 20 of FIG. 1, manipulator 53 may beutilized to operatively translate needle probes 54 throughout a needleprobe range-of-motion, thereby operatively translating probe tips 58relative to DUT 92. As an example, one or more manipulators 53 may beutilized to operatively align one or more probe tips 58 with specific,target, and/or desired locations on DUT 92, such as to permitcommunication between the corresponding probes and the DUT. This mayinclude operative translation of probes 56 in a plurality of different,separate, distinct, perpendicular, and/or orthogonal directions, such asthe X, Y, and/or Z-directions that are illustrated in FIGS. 1-3. In theexample of FIGS. 1-3, the X and Y-directions may be parallel, or atleast substantially parallel, to an upper surface of substrate 90, whilethe Z-direction may be perpendicular, or at least substantiallyperpendicular, to the upper surface of substrate 90. However, thisspecific configuration is not required.

As discussed, probe systems 20 include electrically conductive shieldingstructure 200. Electrically conductive shielding structure 200 also maybe referred to herein as a shielding structure 200. Shielding structure200 may extend between enclosure 30, or at least a portion of enclosure30, and support surface 152, or at least a portion of support surface152.

Shielding structure 200 may be adapted, configured, designed, shaped,sized, and/or constructed to shield shielded volume 202, which is asubset of enclosure volume 32. This may include shielding the shieldedvolume from an ambient environment, and the ambient environment maysurround enclosure 30 and/or shielding structure 200, may be external toenclosure 30 and/or shielding structure 200, and/or may be external toenclosure volume 32 and/or shielded volume 202. As examples, shieldingstructure 200 may shield the shielded volume from electromagneticradiation that may be present in the ambient environment, from electricfields that may be present within the ambient environment, from magneticfields that may be present in the ambient environment, and/or fromvisible light that may be present within the ambient environment.

Shielded volume 202 may include and/or be any appropriate fraction ofenclosure volume 32. As examples, a ratio of a volume of shielded volume202 to a volume of enclosure volume 32 may be at least 0.001, at least0.005, at least 0.01, at least 0.05, at least 0.1, at least 0.15, atleast 0.2, at least 0.25, at most 0.5, at most 0.4, at most 0.3, at most0.25, at most 0.2, at most 0.15, and/or at most 0.1.

The specific ratio between the volume, or magnitude, of shielded volume202 and the volume, or magnitude, of enclosure volume 32 may be selectedand/or specified based upon one or more design criteria. As examples,the ratio may be selected and/or specified based upon a distance thattranslation stage 40 moves in the X-direction and in the Y-directionsand/or based upon a diameter of substrate 90. As another example, thedistance that translation stage 40 moves in the X-direction and in theY-direction may dictate a minimum value for the volume of enclosurevolume 32, or at least a minimum value for a cross-sectional area ofenclosure volume 32 as measured in the X-Y plane. This distancegenerally is at least twice the diameter of substrate 90. As yet anotherexample, and since substrate 90 extends within shielded volume 202, theminimum value for the cross-sectional area of shielded volume 202, asmeasured in the X-Y plane, may be greater than the area of an uppersurface of substrate 90.

Substrate-supporting stack 100 additionally may include an electricallyconductive upper stack layer 150, which defines electrically conductivesupport surface 152, and an upper electrically insulating layer 140,which extends between temperature-controlled chuck 110 and electricallyconductive upper stack layer 150. Electrically conductive upper stacklayer 150 also may be referred to herein as an upper stack layer 150, anupper chuck assembly layer 150, and/or an upper substrate-supportinglayer 150. Upper stack layer 150 may be metallic and/or may be thermallyconductive.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, upper electrically insulating layer 140additionally may extend between upper stack layer 150 and at least aportion of shielding structure 200. More specifically, upperelectrically insulating layer 140 may be a thermally conductive layerconfigured to facilitate thermal exchange between temperature-controlledchuck 110 and upper stack layer 150 but to resist electricalcommunication therebetween.

Shielding structure 200 extends between electrically conductive supportsurface 152 and enclosure 30, between the electrically conductivesupport surface and translation stage 40, and between the electricallyconductive support surface and temperature-controlled chuck 110.Shielding structure 200 may shield shielded volume 202 and/or supportsurface 152 that extends therein in any suitable manner. As examples,shielding structure 200 may be metallic and/or metal-coated, may beelectrically grounded, and/or may be electrically biased to a targetpotential.

Additionally, shielding structure 200 may be adapted, configured,designed, shaped, sized, and/or constructed to restrict, limit, block,and/or occlude fluid flow between shielded volume 202 and a remainder ofenclosure volume 32. Such a configuration may permit one or moreenvironmental conditions within shielded volume 202 to be maintaineddifferently from corresponding environmental conditions within aremainder of enclosure volume 32 and/or within an ambient environmentthat surrounds probe system 20 and/or that is external to enclosurevolume 32. Examples of the one or more environmental conditions includeone or more of a humidity within the shielded volume, a temperaturewithin the shielded volume, and/or a gas composition within the shieldedvolume.

Shielding structure 200 may restrict the fluid flow in any suitablemanner. As an example, shielding structure 200 may be configured torestrict, limit, block, and/or occlude fluid flow into shielded volume202. As another example, shielding structure 200 may be configured torestrict, limit, block, and/or occlude diffusion of moisture intoshielded volume 202.

Shielding structure 200, or shielding structure 200 in combination withenclosure 30, additionally or alternatively may be adapted, configured,designed, sized, and/or constructed to restrict, limit, block, and/orocclude transmission of ambient light into shielded volume 202. Asexamples, shielding structure 200, or the combination of shieldingstructure 200 and enclosure 30, may be configured to attenuate theambient light that passes from an ambient environment into shieldedvolume 202 by at least 100 decibels (dB), by at least 110 dB, by atleast 120 dB, by at least 130 dB, and/or by at least 140 dB. Thisattenuation of ambient light also may be referred to herein as shieldingthe shielded volume from ambient, or visible, light that may be presentwithin the ambient environment.

Stated another way, shielding structure 200 may include and/or may beformed from a light-absorbing material that absorbs light that may beincident thereon and that thereby restricts, limits, blocks, and/oroccludes transmission of ambient light into shielded volume 202.Additionally or alternatively, shielding structure 200 may includeand/or be formed from a light-reflecting material that reflects lightthat may be incident thereon and that thereby restricts, limits, blocks,and/or occludes transmission of ambient light into shielded volume 202.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, shielding structure 200 may include anelectrically conductive peripheral shield 210 that may be spaced-apartfrom substrate-supporting stack 100. Electrically conductive peripheralshield 210 also may be referred to herein as a peripheral shield 210.Peripheral shield 210 may have an external shield periphery 212 and mayextend around an external stack periphery 102 of substrate-supportingstack 100. Peripheral shield 210 and substrate-supporting stack 100 thusmay together define an annular region 204 that defines at least aportion of shielded volume 202.

Shielding structure 200 additionally may include a flexible,electrically conductive lower shield 220 that extends betweensubstrate-supporting stack 100 and peripheral shield 210. Electricallyconductive lower shield 220 also may be referred to herein as a lowershield 220. Lower shield 220 may be configured to fluidly isolateshielded volume 202 from temperature-controlled chuck 110, such as tominimize and/or prevent fluid flow between shielded volume 202 andtemperature-controlled chuck 110. Additionally or alternatively, lowershield 220 may extend between, or at least partially between,temperature controlled chuck 110 and support surface 152. Additionallyor alternatively, lower shield 220 may be configured to limit heattransfer between substrate-supporting stack 100 and/ortemperature-controlled chuck 110 thereof and peripheral shield 210.Lower shield 220 may be constructed of any appropriate material and mayinclude a metal foil, a metallic foil, a nickel foil, a metal-coatedmembrane, and/or an electrically conductive membrane.

Probe system 20 additionally may include an electrically conductiveupper shield 230 that extends above, or is opposed to, support surface152. Electrically conductive upper shield 230 also may be referred toherein as an upper shield 230. Upper shield 230 may include aperture232, which may be sized to permit at least one probe 56, a plurality ofprobes 56, and/or a plurality of spaced-apart probes 56, to extendtherethrough.

Shielding structure 200 additionally may include an electricallyconductive gasket 240 that extends between peripheral shield 210 andupper shield 230. Electrically conductive gasket 240 also may bereferred to herein as a shielding gasket 240 and/or as a gasket 240.Electrically conductive gasket 240 may be configured to form an at leastpartial fluid seal between peripheral shield 210 and upper shield 230,such as to minimize and/or prevent fluid flow between shielded volume202 and a remainder of enclosure volume 32. Additionally oralternatively, electrically conductive gasket 240 may be configured torestrict electromagnetic radiation from entering shielded volume 202,such as from enclosure volume 32.

Electrically conductive gasket 240 is configured to selectively contactupper shield 230 to form the at least partial fluid seal and/or anelectromagnetic shield between peripheral shield 210 and upper shield230, and may include any appropriate material of construction. Forexample, electrically conductive gasket 240 may include, or be, aresilient gasket, such as a foam gasket. Additionally or alternatively,electrically conductive gasket 240 may include, or be, an inflatablegasket configured to be selectively inflated to selectively contactupper shield 230 and selectively deflated to retract from upper shield230.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, probe system 20 additionally may include aplaten 80 that extends above electrically conductive support surface 152and that is configured to support contacting assembly 50, or at least aportion of contacting assembly 50. For example, and as illustrated inFIG. 1, manipulator 53 may be operatively attached to platen 80.

FIGS. 2-3 further illustrate additional and/or optional structures,components, and/or features that may be included in and/or utilized withprobe systems 20 according to the present disclosure. Any of thestructures, components, and/or features that are discussed herein withreference to FIGS. 2-3 may be included in and/or utilized with probesystem 20 of FIG. 1 without departing from the scope of the presentdisclosure. Similarly, any of the structures, components, and/orfeatures that are discussed herein with reference to FIG. 1 may beincluded in and/or utilized with probe systems 20 of FIGS. 2-3 withoutdeparting from the scope of the present disclosure.

Lower shield 220 may be sufficiently flexible to permit relative motionbetween peripheral shield 210 and substrate-supporting stack 100 suchthat lower shield 220 may provide uninterrupted electromagnetic and/orthermal shielding as a relative position of substrate-supporting stack100 and shielding structure 200 is varied, such as due to a thermalexpansion and/or contraction of substrate-supporting stack 100, ofshielding structure 200, and/or of isolation structure 300. Thus, lowershield 220 may include at least one expansion region 222 configured topermit relative motion between peripheral shield 210 andsubstrate-supporting stack 100. For example, expansion region 222 may beconfigured to expand and/or to contract to permit relative motionbetween peripheral shield 210 and substrate-supporting stack 100, andmay include at least one pleat.

As discussed, and as illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, electrically conductivegasket 240 may be configured to selectively contact upper shield 230 andretract from upper shield 230. Stated differently, shielding structure200 may be configured to selectively contact electrically conductivegasket 240 with upper shield 230 and/or to selectively retractelectrically conductive gasket 240 from upper shield 230, such as topermit relative motion between substrate-supporting stack 100 andcontacting assembly 50. Specifically, FIGS. 1-2 illustrate electricallyconductive gasket 240 in contact with upper shield 230, while FIG. 3illustrates electrically conductive gasket 240 retracted from theelectrically conductive upper shield.

Electrically conductive gasket 240 may be brought into contact withupper shield 230 and/or removed from contact with upper shield 230 inany appropriate manner. For example, and as illustrated in FIG. 2,electrically conductive gasket 240 may include, or be, an inflatablegasket, and probe system 20 additionally may include a pressurizingfluid source 242 configured to selectively inflate the inflatable gasketand to selectively deflate the inflatable gasket. Pressurizing fluidsource 242 may be configured to produce, supply, deliver, and/or controla flow of a pressurizing fluid stream 246 through a pressurizing fluidconduit 244 operatively coupled to pressurizing fluid source 242 andelectrically conductive gasket 240.

Additionally or alternatively, shielding structure 200 may include adrive mechanism 250 configured to selectively contact electricallyconductive gasket 240 with upper shield 230 and/or to selectivelyretract electrically conductive gasket 240 from upper shield 230. Drivemechanism 250 may include, or be, any appropriate mechanism, and may becoupled to, integrated into, and/or at least partially enclosed byperipheral shield 210.

Additionally or alternatively, translation stage 40 may be configured toselectively contact electrically conductive gasket 240 with upper shield230 and/or to selectively retract electrically conductive gasket 240from upper shield 230. For example, translation stage 40 may beconfigured to translate shielding structure 200 in at least theZ-direction as illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 to selectively establish and/orcease mechanical and/or electrical contact between electricallyconductive gasket 240 and upper shield 230.

As discussed, and with continued reference to FIGS. 2-3, thermalshielding structure 400 may be spaced-apart from external shieldperiphery 212 of peripheral shield 210. However, this is not required,and it is within the scope of the present disclosure that shieldingstructure 400 additionally or alternatively may be in direct physicalcontact with external shield periphery 212 of peripheral shield 210. Asillustrated in FIGS. 1-3, thermal shielding structure 400 may extendbetween at least a portion of shielding structure 200 and at least aportion of enclosure 30. Additionally or alternatively, thermalshielding structure 400 may extend between temperature-controlled chuck110 and/or translation stage 40. Thermal shielding structure 400 may beoperatively attached to stage surface 42 of translation stage 40, and/ormay be operatively attached to substrate-supporting stack 100.Additionally or alternatively, isolation structure 300 may be integrallyformed with, form a portion of, and/or be operatively coupled to thermalshielding structure 400.

Enclosure 30 may be an electrically conductive enclosure, and/or may beconfigured to at least partially shield enclosure volume 32 from theambient environment that surrounds enclosure 30, that is external toenclosure 30, and/or that is external to enclosure volume 32. Asexamples, enclosure 30 may shield enclosure volume 32 fromelectromagnetic radiation that may be present within the ambientenvironment, from electric fields that may be present within the ambientenvironment, from magnetic fields that may be present within the ambientenvironment, and/or from visible light that may be present within theambient environment.

As a more specific example, and with reference to FIGS. 2-3, probesystem 20 additionally may include a shield conductor 60 in electricalcommunication with enclosure 30. As used herein, the term “electricalcommunication” may be used to describe an electrical coupling and/or anelectrical connection through which an electric current may pass.Additionally or alternatively, the term “electrical communication” maybe used herein to describe an electrical connection that may becharacterized by a net electrical resistance of less than 10 Ohms, lessthan 5 Ohms, less than 1 Ohm, less than 0.5 Ohm, and/or less than 0.1Ohm. Additionally or alternatively, as used herein, the term “directelectrical communication” may be used to describe an electrical couplingand/or an electrical connection that is physically, mechanically, and/oroperatively connected to each element said to be in direct electricalcommunication.

In an embodiment in which enclosure 30 is an electrically conductiveenclosure, shield conductor 60 may be configured to maintain enclosure30 at a predetermined and/or user-configurable shield potential and/orto electrically ground enclosure 30. For example, probe system 20additionally may include a shield potential generator 66 configured togenerate the shield potential, and shield conductor 60 may be inelectrical communication with shield potential generator 66 andenclosure 30.

Similarly, and as illustrated in FIGS. 2-3, probe system 20 may includea guard conductor 62 in electrical communication with shieldingstructure 200 and configured to maintain shielding structure 200 at apredetermined and/or user-configurable guard potential and/or toelectrically ground shielding structure 200. For example, probe system20 additionally may include a guard potential generator 68 configured togenerate the guard potential, and guard conductor 62 may be inelectrical communication with guard potential generator 68 and shieldingstructure 200.

The guard potential may be equal, or at least substantially equal, tothe shield potential, or the guard potential may be different than theshield potential. In an embodiment in which the guard potential isequal, or at least substantially equal, to the shield potential, shieldpotential generator 66 and guard potential generator 68 may refer to asingle potential generator. Probe system 20 additionally may include aswitching structure 64 configured to selectively apply the guardpotential to guard conductor 62 and to selectively ground guardconductor 62. Switching structure 64 may be configured to selectivelyapply the shield potential to shield conductor 60 and/or to selectivelyground shield conductor 60. Switching structure 64 additionally oralternatively may be configured to electrically interconnectelectrically conductive upper chuck layer 120 and/or electricallyconductive upper stack layer 150 with a signal generator/measuring unit67. Signal generator/measuring unit 67 may be configured to provide anysuitable signal to upper chuck layer 120, to provide any suitable signalto electrically conductive upper stack layer 150, to receive anysuitable signal from upper chuck layer 120, and/or to receive anysuitable signal from electrically conductive upper stack layer 150.Switching structure 64 may include, or be, any appropriate mechanism,such as an electrical switch, an electrical relay, and/or a solid-staterelay.

In addition to shielding shielded volume 202 from electrical and/orthermal disturbances, probe system 20 additionally may be configured toprovide, modify, control, and/or regulate an atmospheric environmentwithin shielded volume 202. For example, and with reference to FIGS.2-3, probe system 20 additionally may include an environmental controlassembly 70 that is configured to regulate a chemical composition of atesting environment that extends within shielded volume 202. The testingenvironment may occupy a portion of, a majority of, and/or an entiretyof shielded volume 202. Specifically, environmental control assembly 70may be configured to provide a purge gas stream 74 to shielded volume202 to regulate the chemical composition of the testing environment, forexample via a purge gas conduit 72. As examples, purge gas stream 74 mayinclude and/or be a dry, or at least substantially dry, purge gasstream; a low humidity purge gas stream; an inert purge gas stream;and/or an oxygen-free, or at least substantially oxygen-free, purge gasstream. Environmental control assembly 70 may include a purge gas source71 configured to generate purge gas stream 74.

Probe system 20 also may be configured to provide, modify, control,and/or regulate an atmospheric environment within a portion of enclosurevolume 32 that is external to shielded volume 202. For example, purgegas stream 74 may be a first purge gas stream 74, and environmentalcontrol assembly 70 additionally may be configured to provide a secondpurge gas stream 78 to a portion of enclosure volume 32 that is externalto shielded volume 202. Similarly, in an embodiment that includes secondpurge gas stream 78, purge gas conduit 72 may be a first purge gasconduit 72, and environmental control assembly 70 additionally mayinclude a second purge gas conduit 76 configured to provide second purgegas stream 78 to a portion of enclosure volume 32 that is external toshielded volume 202.

As discussed, temperature-controlled chuck 110 is configured to regulatea temperature of support surface 152, and thereby to regulate atemperature of substrate 90 and/or DUT 92. Specifically,temperature-controlled chuck 110 may be configured to regulate atemperature of substrate 90 and/or DUT 92 over a test temperature range.As examples, the test temperature range may extend over at least 100degrees Celsius, at least 150 degrees Celsius, at least 200 degreesCelsius, at least 250 degrees Celsius, at least 300 degrees Celsius, atleast 350 degrees Celsius, at least 400 degrees Celsius, at least 450degrees Celsius, and/or at least 500 degrees Celsius.

The test temperature range may extend between a minimum test temperatureand a maximum test temperature. Examples of the minimum test temperatureinclude minimum test temperatures of at least −200° C., at least −150°C., at least −100° C., at least −50° C., at least 0° C., and/or at least50° C. Examples of the maximum test temperature include maximum testtemperatures of at most 100° C., at most 150° C., at most 200° C., atmost 250° C., at most 300° C., at most 350° C., or at most 400° C.

With continued reference to FIGS. 2-3, temperature-controlled chuck 110may include an electrically conductive upper chuck layer 120 positionedbetween upper electrically insulating layer 140 and a remainder oftemperature-controlled chuck 110. Electrically conductive upper chucklayer 120 also may be referred to herein as an upper chuck layer 120.Upper chuck layer 120 may be in electrical communication, and/or indirect electrical communication, with at least a portion of shieldingstructure 200. Additionally or alternatively, in an embodiment thatincludes guard conductor 62, guard conductor 62 may be in electricalcommunication with upper chuck layer 120 and/or may be configured tomaintain upper chuck layer 120 at the shield potential and/or at theguard potential.

Temperature-controlled chuck 110 additionally may include a lowerelectrically insulating layer 130 that extends between upper chuck layer120 and at least a portion of shielding structure 200. Lowerelectrically insulating layer 130 may be thermally conductive, and maybe configured to facilitate thermal exchange betweentemperature-controlled chuck 110 and support surface 152 and/or betweena remainder of temperature-controlled chuck 110 and support surface 152.However, lower electrically insulating layer 130 also may electricallyisolate upper chuck layer 120 and/or temperature-controlled chuck 110from electrically conductive shielding structure 200.

As discussed, upper stack layer 150 may be configured to supportsubstrate 90 via support surface 152. As illustrated in FIGS. 2-3, upperstack layer 150 additionally may include a vacuum distribution manifold154 configured to apply a retention vacuum to support surface 152 toretain substrate 90 on support surface 152. Vacuum distribution manifold154 may be coupled to a vacuum source 156 via a vacuum conduit 158.

Enclosure 30 may include and/or be any suitable structure that maydefine enclosure volume 32 and/or that may house and/or contain at leasta portion of contacting assembly 50, substrate 90, and/or DUT 92. Inaddition, enclosure 30 also may be configured to shield and/or protectat least a portion of contacting assembly 50, substrate 90, and/or DUT92 from the ambient environment that surrounds probe system 20.Specifically, enclosure 30 may be configured to shield support surface152, substrate 90, and/or DUT 92 from electromagnetic radiationgenerated external to enclosure volume 32. For example, enclosure 30 maybe formed from an electromagnetically shielding material. Additionallyor alternatively, enclosure 30 may be an electrically conductiveenclosure, may be a metallic enclosure, and/or may be an electricallyshielded enclosure. Additionally or alternatively, enclosure 30 may beconfigured to thermally insulate support surface 152, substrate 90,and/or DUT 92 from the ambient environment that surrounds enclosure 30.

As examples, enclosure 30 may include and/or be a sealed, fluidlysealed, and/or hermetically sealed enclosure. As additional examples,enclosure 30 may be configured to restrict transmission of ambient lightand/or other electromagnetic radiation into enclosure volume 32. As yetanother example, enclosure 30 may be configured to provide shielding forDUT 92 and/or probe 56 from electromagnetic radiation. As anotherexample, enclosure 30 may include one or more walls, which may at leastpartially bound enclosure volume 32.

As discussed, translation stage 40 is configured to operativelytranslate and/or rotate substrate-supporting stack 100. Morespecifically, translation stage 40 may be configured to operativelyand/or simultaneously translate substrate-supporting stack 100,isolation structure 300, thermal shielding structure 400, and/or atleast a portion of electrically conductive shielding structure 200relative to enclosure 30 along a first axis and along a second axis thatis perpendicular, or at least substantially perpendicular, to the firstaxis. The first axis and the second axis may both be parallel, or atleast substantially parallel, to support surface 152. For example, thefirst axis may be oriented in the X-direction as illustrated in FIGS.1-3, and/or the second axis may be oriented in the Y-direction asillustrated in FIGS. 1-3.

Translation stage 40 additionally may be configured to operativelyand/or simultaneously translate substrate-supporting stack 100,isolation structure 300, thermal shielding structure 400, and/or atleast a portion of electrically conductive shielding structure 200relative to enclosure 30 along a third axis that is perpendicular, or atleast substantially perpendicular, to support surface 152. For example,the third axis may be oriented in the Z-direction as illustrated inFIGS. 1-3.

Additionally or alternatively, translation stage 40 may be configured tooperatively and/or simultaneously rotate substrate-supporting stack 100,isolation structure 300, thermal shielding structure 400, and/or atleast a portion of electrically conductive shielding structure 200 abouta rotation axis. The rotation axis may be perpendicular, or at leastsubstantially perpendicular, to support surface 152, and/or may be thethird axis.

As discussed, probe system 20 may include contacting assembly 50configured to contact DUT 92 with one or more probe tips 58 of acorresponding one or more probes 56. More specifically, and withreference to FIGS. 2-3, contacting assembly 50 may include a pluralityof probe tips 58, and each of the plurality of probe tips 58 may beconfigured to provide a corresponding test signal 86 to DUT 92 and/or toreceive a corresponding resultant signal 88 from DUT 92. Test signal 86may include, or be, a direct current test signal and/or an alternatingcurrent test signal. Contacting assembly 50 additionally oralternatively may include a probe head assembly 52 that includes theplurality of probe tips 58 and/or a corresponding plurality of probes56. Additionally or alternatively, probe system 20 may include a signalgeneration and analysis assembly 84 that is configured to providecorresponding test signal 86 to contacting assembly 50 and/or to receivecorresponding resultant signal 88 from the contacting assembly.

Manipulator 53 may include and/or be any suitable structure that may beoperatively attached to probe 56, such as via probe arm 55, and/or thatmay be configured to operatively translate probe 56 throughout the proberange-of-motion. As discussed, manipulator 53 may be external toenclosure volume 32 and/or may be operatively attached to platen 80. Asalso discussed, the probe arm range-of-motion may extend in threeorthogonal, or at least substantially orthogonal, axes, such as the X,Y, and Z-axes of FIGS. 1-3.

Manipulator 53 may include any suitable structure. As examples,manipulator 53 may include one or more translation stages, lead screws,ball screws, rack and pinion assemblies, motors, stepper motors,electrical actuators, mechanical actuators, micrometers, and/or manualactuators. Manipulator 53 may be a manually actuated manipulator and/oran automated, or electrically actuated, manipulator.

Substrate 90 may include and/or be any suitable structure that maysupport, include, and/or have formed thereon DUT 92. Examples ofsubstrate 90 include a wafer, a semiconductor wafer, a silicon wafer,and/or a gallium arsenide wafer.

Similarly, DUT 92 may include and/or be any suitable structure that maybe probed and/or tested by probe system 20. As examples, DUT 92 mayinclude a semiconductor device, an electronic device, an optical device,a logic device, a power device, a switching device, and/or a transistor.

As used herein, the term “and/or” placed between a first entity and asecond entity means one of (1) the first entity, (2) the second entity,and (3) the first entity and the second entity. Multiple entities listedwith “and/or” should be construed in the same manner, i.e., “one ormore” of the entities so conjoined. Other entities may optionally bepresent other than the entities specifically identified by the “and/or”clause, whether related or unrelated to those entities specificallyidentified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, a reference to “A and/orB,” when used in conjunction with open-ended language such as“comprising” may refer, in one embodiment, to A only (optionallyincluding entities other than B); in another embodiment, to B only(optionally including entities other than A); in yet another embodiment,to both A and B (optionally including other entities). These entitiesmay refer to elements, actions, structures, steps, operations, values,and the like.

As used herein, the phrase “at least one,” in reference to a list of oneor more entities should be understood to mean at least one entityselected from any one or more of the entity in the list of entities, butnot necessarily including at least one of each and every entityspecifically listed within the list of entities and not excluding anycombinations of entities in the list of entities. This definition alsoallows that entities may optionally be present other than the entitiesspecifically identified within the list of entities to which the phrase“at least one” refers, whether related or unrelated to those entitiesspecifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, “at least oneof A and B” (or, equivalently, “at least one of A or B,” or,equivalently “at least one of A and/or B”) may refer, in one embodiment,to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, with no Bpresent (and optionally including entities other than B); in anotherembodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, B, withno A present (and optionally including entities other than A); in yetanother embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one,A, and at least one, optionally including more than one, B (andoptionally including other entities). In other words, the phrases “atleast one,” “one or more,” and “and/or” are open-ended expressions thatare both conjunctive and disjunctive in operation. For example, each ofthe expressions “at least one of A, B and C,” “at least one of A, B, orC,” “one or more of A, B, and C,” “one or more of A, B, or C” and “A, B,and/or C” may mean A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and Ctogether, B and C together, A, B and C together, and optionally any ofthe above in combination with at least one other entity.

In the event that any patents, patent applications, or other referencesare incorporated by reference herein and (1) define a term in a mannerthat is inconsistent with and/or (2) are otherwise inconsistent with,either the non-incorporated portion of the present disclosure or any ofthe other incorporated references, the non-incorporated portion of thepresent disclosure shall control, and the term or incorporateddisclosure therein shall only control with respect to the reference inwhich the term is defined and/or the incorporated disclosure was presentoriginally.

As used herein the terms “adapted” and “configured” mean that theelement, component, or other subject matter is designed and/or intendedto perform a given function. Thus, the use of the terms “adapted” and“configured” should not be construed to mean that a given element,component, or other subject matter is simply “capable of” performing agiven function but that the element, component, and/or other subjectmatter is specifically selected, created, implemented, utilized,programmed, and/or designed for the purpose of performing the function.It is also within the scope of the present disclosure that elements,components, and/or other recited subject matter that is recited as beingadapted to perform a particular function may additionally oralternatively be described as being configured to perform that function,and vice versa.

As used herein, the phrase, “for example,” the phrase, “as an example,”and/or simply the term “example,” when used with reference to one ormore components, features, details, structures, and/or embodimentsaccording to the present disclosure, are intended to convey that thedescribed component, feature, detail, structure, and/or embodiment is anillustrative, non-exclusive example of components, features, details,structures, and/or embodiments according to the present disclosure.Thus, the described component, feature, detail, structure, and/orembodiment is not intended to be limiting, required, orexclusive/exhaustive; and other components, features, details,structures, and/or embodiments, including structurally and/orfunctionally similar and/or equivalent components, features, details,structures, and/or embodiments, are also within the scope of the presentdisclosure.

Illustrative, non-exclusive examples of probe systems according to thepresent disclosure are presented in the following enumerated paragraphs.

A1. A shielded probe system for testing a device under test (DUT), theprobe system comprising:

an enclosure defining an enclosure volume;

a translation stage including a stage surface that extends within theenclosure volume;

a substrate-supporting stack extending from the stage surface and withinthe enclosure volume, wherein the substrate-supporting stack includes anelectrically conductive support surface, which is configured to supporta substrate that includes the DUT, and a temperature-controlled chuck,which is configured to regulate a temperature of the electricallyconductive support surface;

an electrically conductive shielding structure extending within theenclosure volume and defining a shielded volume that contains theelectrically conductive support surface, wherein the shielded volume isa subset of the enclosure volume, and further wherein the electricallyconductive shielding structure extends between the electricallyconductive support surface and the enclosure, the translation stage, andthe temperature-controlled chuck;

an isolation structure that electrically isolates the electricallyconductive shielding structure from the enclosure and from thetranslation stage; and

a thermal shielding structure extending within the enclosure volume andat least partially between the enclosure and the substrate-supportingstack.

A2. The shielded probe system of paragraph A1, wherein the electricallyconductive shielding structure is configured to shield the electricallyconductive support surface from electromagnetic radiation that isgenerated external to the shielded volume.

A3. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A1-A2, wherein theelectrically conductive shielding structure includes an electricallyconductive peripheral shield that is spaced-apart from thesubstrate-supporting stack and extends around an external periphery ofthe substrate-supporting stack.

A4. The shielded probe system of paragraph A3, wherein the electricallyconductive peripheral shield and the substrate-supporting stack togetherdefine an annular region that defines at least a portion of the shieldedvolume.

A5. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A3-A4, wherein theelectrically conductive shielding structure further includes a flexible,electrically conductive lower shield that extends between thesubstrate-supporting stack and the electrically conductive peripheralshield.

A6. The shielded probe system of paragraph A5, wherein the electricallyconductive lower shield fluidly isolates the shielded volume from thetemperature-controlled chuck.

A7. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A5-A6, wherein theelectrically conductive lower shield further extends between thetemperature-controlled chuck and the electrically conductive supportsurface.

A8. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A5-A7, wherein theelectrically conductive lower shield is configured to limit heattransfer from the temperature-controlled chuck to the electricallyconductive peripheral shield.

A9. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A5-A8, wherein theelectrically conductive lower shield includes at least one of a metalfoil, a metallic foil, a nickel foil, a metal-coated membrane, and anelectrically conductive membrane.

A10. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A5-A9, wherein theelectrically conductive lower shield is configured to permit relativemotion between the electrically conductive peripheral shield and thesubstrate-supporting stack.

A11. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A5-A10, wherein theelectrically conductive lower shield includes at least one expansionregion configured to permit relative motion between the electricallyconductive peripheral shield and the substrate-supporting stack.

A12. The shielded probe system of paragraph A11, wherein the expansionregion is configured to at least one of expand and contract to permitthe relative motion between the electrically conductive peripheralshield and the substrate-supporting stack.

A13. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A11-A12, wherein theexpansion region includes at least one pleat.

A14. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A1-A13, wherein theelectrically conductive shielding structure further includes anelectrically conductive upper shield that extends above the electricallyconductive support surface.

A15. The shielded probe system of paragraph A14, wherein theelectrically conductive upper shield includes an aperture sized topermit at least one probe, optionally a plurality of probes, and furtheroptionally a plurality of spaced-apart probes, to extend therethrough.

A16. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A14-A15, whendependent upon paragraph A3, wherein the electrically conductiveshielding structure further includes an electrically conductive gasketthat extends between the electrically conductive peripheral shield andthe electrically conductive upper shield.

A17. The shielded probe system of paragraph A16, wherein theelectrically conductive gasket is configured to form an at least partialfluid seal between the electrically conductive peripheral shield and theelectrically conductive upper shield.

A18. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A16-A17, wherein theelectrically conductive gasket is configured to restrict electromagneticradiation from entering the shielded volume.

A19. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A16-A18, wherein theelectrically conductive gasket includes a resilient gasket, andoptionally a foam gasket.

A20. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A16-A19, wherein theelectrically conductive gasket includes an inflatable gasket configuredto be:

(i) selectively inflated to selectively contact the electricallyconductive upper shield; and

(ii) selectively deflated to retract from the electrically conductiveupper shield.

A21. The shielded probe system of paragraph A20, wherein the shieldedprobe system further includes a pressurizing fluid source configured toselectively inflate the inflatable gasket and to selectively deflate theinflatable gasket.

A22. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A16-A21, wherein theelectrically conductive shielding structure is configured to selectivelycontact the electrically conductive gasket with the electricallyconductive upper shield and to selectively retract the electricallyconductive gasket from the electrically conductive upper shield.

A23. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A16-A22, wherein theelectrically conductive shielding structure further includes a drivemechanism configured to selectively contact the electrically conductivegasket with the electrically conductive upper shield and to selectivelyretract the electrically conductive gasket from the electricallyconductive upper shield.

A24. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A16-A23, wherein thetranslation stage is configured to selectively contact the electricallyconductive gasket with the electrically conductive upper shield and toselectively retract the electrically conductive gasket from theelectrically conductive upper shield.

A25. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A1-A24, wherein theelectrically conductive shielding structure is at least one of metallicand metal-coated.

A26. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A1-A25, wherein thetemperature-controlled chuck is external to the shielded volume.

A27. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A1-A26, wherein thetranslation stage is external to the shielded volume.

A28. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A1-A27, wherein theisolation structure is external to the shielded volume.

A29. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A1-A28, wherein theisolation structure is formed from an electrically insulating material.

A30. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A1-A29, wherein theisolation structure is formed from a thermally insulating material.

A31. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A1-A30, wherein theisolation structure forms a portion of the thermal shielding structure.

A32. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A1-A31, wherein theisolation structure extends between at least a portion of theelectrically conductive shielding structure and the translation stage.

A33. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A1-A32, wherein theisolation structure spatially separates the electrically conductiveshielding structure from the translation stage.

A34. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A1-A33, wherein theisolation structure is operatively attached to the stage surface of thetranslation stage.

A35. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A1-A34, wherein theisolation structure is operatively attached to the electricallyconductive shielding structure.

A36. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A1-A35, wherein thethermal shielding structure is formed from a/the thermally insulatingmaterial.

A37. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A1-A36, wherein thethermal shielding structure surrounds at least a portion of theelectrically conductive shielding structure.

A38. The shielded probe system of paragraph A37, wherein the at least aportion of the electrically conductive shielding structure includes anexternal periphery of a/the electrically conductive peripheral shield.

A39. The shielded probe system of paragraph A38, wherein the thermalshielding structure is spaced-apart from the external periphery of theelectrically conductive peripheral shield.

A40. The shielded probe system of paragraph A38, wherein the thermalshielding structure is in direct physical contact with the externalperiphery of the electrically conductive peripheral shield.

A41. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A1-A40, wherein thethermal shielding structure extends between at least a portion of theelectrically conductive shielding structure and at least a portion ofthe enclosure.

A42. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A1-A41, wherein thethermal shielding structure extends between the temperature-controlledchuck and the translation stage.

A43. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A1-A42, wherein thethermal shielding structure is operatively attached to the stage surfaceof the translation stage.

A44. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A1-A43, wherein thethermal shielding structure is operatively attached to thesubstrate-supporting stack.

A45. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A1-A44, wherein theenclosure is an electrically conductive enclosure.

A46. The shielded probe system of paragraph A45, wherein the shieldedprobe system further includes a shield conductor that is in electricalcommunication with the enclosure and configured to at least one of:

-   -   (i) maintain the enclosure at a shield potential; and    -   (ii) ground the enclosure.

A47. The shielded probe system of paragraph A46, wherein the shieldedprobe system further includes a shield potential generator configured togenerate the shield potential.

A48. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A1-A47, wherein theshielded probe system further includes a guard conductor that is inelectrical communication with the electrically conductive shieldingstructure and configured to at least one of:

(i) maintain the electrically conductive shielding structure at a guardpotential; and

(ii) ground the electrically conductive shielding structure.

A49. The shielded probe system of paragraph A48, wherein the shieldedprobe system further includes a guard potential generator configured togenerate the guard potential.

A50. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A48-A49, whendependent upon paragraph A46, wherein the guard potential is differentfrom a/the shield potential of the enclosure.

A51. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A48-A49, whendependent upon paragraph A46, wherein the guard potential is equal tothe shield potential.

A52. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A48-A51, wherein theprobe system further includes a switching structure configured toselectively apply the guard potential to the guard conductor and toselectively ground the guard conductor.

A53. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A1-A52, wherein theshielded probe system further includes an environmental control assemblyconfigured to provide a purge gas stream to the shielded volume toregulate a chemical composition of a testing environment that extendswithin the shielded volume.

A54. The shielded probe system of paragraph A53, wherein theenvironmental control assembly includes a purge gas conduit configuredto provide the purge gas stream to the shielded volume.

A55. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A53-A54, wherein thepurge gas stream includes at least one of:

(i) a dry, or at least substantially dry, purge gas stream;

(ii) a low humidity purge gas stream;

(iii) an inert purge gas stream; and

(iv) an oxygen-free, or at least substantially oxygen-free, purge gasstream.

A56. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A53-A55, wherein theenvironmental control assembly further includes a purge gas sourceconfigured to generate the purge gas stream.

A57. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A53-A56, wherein thepurge gas stream is a first purge gas stream, and further wherein theenvironmental control assembly is configured to provide a second purgegas stream to a portion of the enclosure volume that is external to theshielded volume.

A58. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A54-A57, wherein thepurge gas conduit is a first purge gas conduit, and further wherein theenvironmental control assembly includes a second purge gas conduitconfigured to provide the second purge gas stream to the portion of theenclosure volume that is external to the shielded volume.

A59. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A1-A58, wherein thetemperature-controlled chuck is configured to regulate a temperature ofthe substrate over a test temperature range.

A60. The shielded probe system of paragraph A59, wherein the testtemperature range extends over at least 100 degrees Celsius, at least150 degrees Celsius, at least 200 degrees Celsius, at least 250 degreesCelsius, at least 300 degrees Celsius, at least 350 degrees Celsius, atleast 400 degrees Celsius, at least 450 degrees Celsius, or at least 500degrees Celsius.

A61. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A1-A60, wherein thetemperature-controlled chuck includes an electrically conductive upperchuck layer.

A62. The shielded probe system of paragraph A61, wherein the shieldedprobe system further includes a/the guard conductor that is inelectrical communication with the electrically conductive upper chucklayer and configured to maintain the electrically conductive upper chucklayer at one of:

(i) a/the shield potential; and

(ii) a/the guard potential.

A63. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A61-A62, wherein theelectrically conductive upper chuck layer is in electricalcommunication, and optionally in direct electrical communication, withat least a portion of the electrically conductive shielding structure.

A64. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A61-A63, wherein thesubstrate-supporting stack further includes a lower electricallyinsulating layer that extends between the electrically conductive upperchuck layer and at least a portion of the electrically conductiveshielding structure.

A65. The shielded probe system of paragraph A64, wherein the lowerelectrically insulating layer is a thermally conductive lowerelectrically insulating layer configured to facilitate thermal exchangebetween the temperature-controlled chuck and the electrically conductivesupport surface.

A66. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A1-A65, wherein thesubstrate-supporting stack further includes an electrically conductiveupper stack layer that defines the electrically conductive supportsurface.

A67. The shielded probe system of paragraph A66, wherein theelectrically conductive upper stack layer is at least one of:

(i) thermally conductive; and

(ii) metallic.

A68. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A66-A67, wherein theelectrically conductive upper stack layer includes a vacuum distributionmanifold configured to apply a retention vacuum to the electricallyconductive support surface to retain the substrate on the electricallyconductive support surface.

A69. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A66-A68, wherein thesubstrate-supporting stack further includes an upper electricallyinsulating layer that extends between the temperature-controlled chuckand the electrically conductive upper stack layer.

A70. The shielded probe system of paragraph A69, wherein the upperelectrically insulating layer further extends between the electricallyconductive upper stack layer and at least a portion of the electricallyconductive shielding structure.

A71. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A69-A70, wherein theupper electrically insulating layer is a thermally conductive upperelectrically insulating layer configured to facilitate thermal exchangebetween the temperature-controlled chuck and the electrically conductiveupper stack layer.

A72. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A1-A71, wherein theenclosure is at least one of an electrically conductive enclosure and ametallic enclosure.

A73. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A1-A72, wherein theenclosure is configured to shield the electrically conductive supportsurface from electromagnetic radiation that is generated external to theenclosure volume.

A74. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A1-A72, wherein theenclosure is formed from an electromagnetically shielding material.

A75. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A1-A74, wherein theenclosure is configured to thermally insulate the electricallyconductive support surface from an ambient environment that surroundsthe enclosure.

A76. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A1-A75, wherein aratio of a volume of the shielded volume to a volume of the enclosurevolume is at least one of:

(i) at least 0.001, at least 0.005, at least 0.01, at least 0.05, atleast 0.1, at least 0.15, at least 0.2, or at least 0.25; and

(ii) at most 0.5, at most 0.4, at most 0.3, at most 0.25, at most 0.2,at most 0.15, or at most 0.1.

A77. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A1-A76, wherein thetranslation stage is configured to operatively translate thesubstrate-supporting stack, the isolation structure, the thermalshielding structure, and at least a portion of the electricallyconductive shielding structure relative to the enclosure along a firstaxis and along a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis.

A78. The shielded probe system of paragraph A77, wherein the first axisand the second axis both are parallel, or at least substantiallyparallel, to the electrically conductive support surface.

A79. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A77-A78, wherein thetranslation stage further is configured to operatively translate thesubstrate-supporting stack, the isolation structure, the thermalshielding structure, and at least a portion of the electricallyconductive shielding structure relative to the enclosure along a thirdaxis that is perpendicular, or at least substantially perpendicular, tothe electrically conductive support surface.

A80. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A1-A79, wherein thetranslation stage is configured to operatively rotate thesubstrate-supporting stack, the isolation structure, the thermalshielding structure, and at least a portion of the electricallyconductive shielding structure about a rotational axis.

A81. The shielded probe system of paragraph A80, wherein the rotationalaxis is perpendicular to the electrically conductive support surface.

A82. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A80-A81, wherein therotational axis is a/the third axis.

A83. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A1-A82, wherein theshielded probe system further includes a contacting assembly including aplurality of probe tips, wherein each of the plurality of probe tips isconfigured to at least one of:

(i) provide a corresponding test signal to the DUT; and

(ii) receive a corresponding resultant signal from the DUT.

A84. The shielded probe system of paragraph A83, wherein the test signalincludes a direct current test signal.

A85. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A83-A84, wherein thetest signal includes an alternating current test signal.

A86. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A83-A85, wherein theshielded probe system further includes a platen that extends above theelectrically conductive support surface and is configured to support thecontacting assembly.

A87. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A83-A86, wherein thecontacting assembly includes a probe head assembly.

A88. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A83-A87, wherein thecontacting assembly includes at least one probe arm, and optionally aplurality of probe arms.

A89. The shielded probe system of any of paragraphs A83-A88, wherein theshielded probe system further includes a signal generation and analysisassembly configured to provide the corresponding test signal to the DUTand receive the corresponding resultant signal from the DUT.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The probe systems disclosed herein are applicable to the semiconductormanufacturing and test industries.

It is believed that the disclosure set forth above encompasses multipledistinct inventions with independent utility. While each of theseinventions has been disclosed in its preferred form, the specificembodiments thereof as disclosed and illustrated herein are not to beconsidered in a limiting sense as numerous variations are possible. Thesubject matter of the inventions includes all novel and non-obviouscombinations and subcombinations of the various elements, features,functions and/or properties disclosed herein. Similarly, where theclaims recite “a” or “a first” element or the equivalent thereof, suchclaims should be understood to include incorporation of one or more suchelements, neither requiring nor excluding two or more such elements.

It is believed that the following claims particularly point out certaincombinations and subcombinations that are directed to one of thedisclosed inventions and are novel and non-obvious. Inventions embodiedin other combinations and subcombinations of features, functions,elements and/or properties may be claimed through amendment of thepresent claims or presentation of new claims in this or a relatedapplication. Such amended or new claims, whether they are directed to adifferent invention or directed to the same invention, whetherdifferent, broader, narrower, or equal in scope to the original claims,are also regarded as included within the subject matter of theinventions of the present disclosure.

1. A shielded probe system for testing a device under test (DUT), theprobe system comprising: an enclosure defining an enclosure volume; atranslation stage including a stage surface that extends within theenclosure volume; a substrate-supporting stack extending from the stagesurface and within the enclosure volume, wherein thesubstrate-supporting stack includes an electrically conductive supportsurface, which is configured to support a substrate that includes theDUT, and a temperature-controlled chuck, which is configured to regulatea temperature of the electrically conductive support surface; anelectrically conductive shielding structure extending within theenclosure volume and defining a shielded volume that contains theelectrically conductive support surface, wherein the shielded volume isa subset of the enclosure volume, and further wherein the electricallyconductive shielding structure extends between the electricallyconductive support surface and the enclosure, the translation stage, andthe temperature-controlled chuck; an isolation structure thatelectrically isolates the electrically conductive shielding structurefrom the enclosure and from the translation stage; and a thermalshielding structure extending within the enclosure volume and at leastpartially between the enclosure and the substrate-supporting stack. 2.The shielded probe system of claim 1, wherein the electricallyconductive shielding structure is configured to shield the electricallyconductive support surface from electromagnetic radiation that isgenerated external to the shielded volume, and further wherein theelectrically conductive shielding structure includes an electricallyconductive peripheral shield that is spaced-apart from thesubstrate-supporting stack and extends around an external periphery ofthe substrate-supporting stack.
 3. The shielded probe system of claim 2,wherein the electrically conductive shielding structure further includesa flexible, electrically conductive lower shield that extends betweenthe substrate-supporting stack and the electrically conductiveperipheral shield, and further wherein the electrically conductive lowershield fluidly isolates the shielded volume from thetemperature-controlled chuck.
 4. The shielded probe system of claim 3,wherein the electrically conductive lower shield is configured to permitrelative motion between the electrically conductive peripheral shieldand the substrate-supporting stack.
 5. The shielded probe system ofclaim 1, wherein the electrically conductive shielding structure furtherincludes an electrically conductive upper shield that extends above theelectrically conductive support surface.
 6. The shielded probe system ofclaim 5, wherein the electrically conductive shielding structureincludes an electrically conductive peripheral shield that isspaced-apart from the substrate-supporting stack and extends around anexternal periphery of the substrate-supporting stack, wherein theelectrically conductive shielding structure further includes anelectrically conductive gasket that extends between the electricallyconductive peripheral shield and the electrically conductive uppershield, and further wherein the electrically conductive gasket isconfigured to restrict electromagnetic radiation from entering theshielded volume.
 7. The shielded probe system of claim 6, wherein theelectrically conductive shielding structure is configured to selectivelycontact the electrically conductive gasket with the electricallyconductive upper shield and to selectively retract the electricallyconductive gasket from the electrically conductive upper shield.
 8. Theshielded probe system of claim 1, wherein the temperature-controlledchuck, the translation stage, and the isolation structure each areexternal to the shielded volume.
 9. The shielded probe system of claim1, wherein the isolation structure spatially separates the electricallyconductive shielding structure from the translation stage.
 10. Theshielded probe system of claim 1, wherein the thermal shieldingstructure surrounds at least a portion of the electrically conductiveshielding structure.
 11. The shielded probe system of claim 10, whereinthe at least a portion of the electrically conductive shieldingstructure includes an external periphery of an electrically conductiveperipheral shield, and further wherein the thermal shielding structureis spaced-apart from the external periphery of the electricallyconductive peripheral shield.
 12. The shielded probe system of claim 1,wherein the enclosure is an electrically conductive enclosure, andwherein the shielded probe system further includes a shield conductorthat is in electrical communication with the enclosure and configured toat least one of: (i) maintain the enclosure at a shield potential; and(ii) ground the enclosure.
 13. The shielded probe system of claim 1,wherein the shielded probe system further includes a guard conductorthat is in electrical communication with the electrically conductiveshielding structure and configured to at least one of: (i) maintain theelectrically conductive shielding structure at a guard potential; and(ii) ground the electrically conductive shielding structure.
 14. Theshielded probe system of claim 13, wherein the probe system furtherincludes a switching structure configured to selectively apply the guardpotential to the guard conductor and to selectively ground the guardconductor.
 15. The shielded probe system of claim 1, wherein theshielded probe system further includes an environmental control assemblyconfigured to provide a purge gas stream to the shielded volume toregulate a chemical composition of a testing environment that extendswithin the shielded volume.
 16. The shielded probe system of claim 1,wherein the temperature-controlled chuck includes an electricallyconductive upper chuck layer, and wherein the shielded probe systemfurther includes a guard conductor that is in electrical communicationwith the electrically conductive upper chuck layer and configured tomaintain the electrically conductive upper chuck layer at one of: (i) ashield potential; and (ii) a guard potential.
 17. The shielded probesystem of claim 16, wherein the substrate-supporting stack furtherincludes a lower electrically insulating layer that extends between theelectrically conductive upper chuck layer and at least a portion of theelectrically conductive shielding structure, and further wherein thelower electrically insulating layer is a thermally conductive lowerelectrically insulating layer configured to facilitate thermal exchangebetween the temperature-controlled chuck and the electrically conductivesupport surface.
 18. The shielded probe system of claim 1, wherein thesubstrate-supporting stack further includes an electrically conductiveupper stack layer that defines the electrically conductive supportsurface, wherein the substrate-supporting stack further includes anupper electrically insulating layer that extends between thetemperature-controlled chuck and the electrically conductive upper stacklayer, wherein the upper electrically insulating layer further extendsbetween the electrically conductive upper stack layer and at least aportion of the electrically conductive shielding structure, and furtherwherein the upper electrically insulating layer is a thermallyconductive upper electrically insulating layer configured to facilitatethermal exchange between the temperature-controlled chuck and theelectrically conductive upper stack layer.
 19. The shielded probe systemof claim 1, wherein a ratio of a volume of the shielded volume to avolume of the enclosure volume is at least 0.001 and at most 0.25. 20.The shielded probe system of claim 1, wherein the shielded probe systemfurther includes a contacting assembly including a plurality of probetips, wherein each of the plurality of probe tips is configured to atleast one of: (i) provide a corresponding test signal to the DUT; and(ii) receive a corresponding resultant signal from the DUT.